So, How's It Taste?http://www.sohowsittaste.com
Wed, 02 Aug 2017 18:11:02 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8Not-Too-Sweet Granolahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/X5dqs9FGqE4/not-too-sweet-granola.html
http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/08/not-too-sweet-granola.html#respondWed, 02 Aug 2017 14:22:03 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5902My reign of stinginess is over. I got this recipe for granola from my boss and it has ruled my breakfast for months. I teased about it back in April on instagram…twice. Shame on me for just now sharing it. It’s the first time I’ve ever made my own granola and what a hit! I’ve actually never even purchased granola, as it never appealed to me, but my boss was eating it in a meeting one morning with blueberries and Greek yogurt and I was all about it! I’ve tweaked her recipe a bit to my liking and you can play around with the ingredients as well. In the Fall it would be great with pumpkin pie spice. Not a fan of cashews? Swap in walnuts or add more pecans. It’s really easy to change it up to your liking or what’s in your pantry. I also halved the original recipe. A half recipe lasts me almost two weeks, but if you’re making this for more people, it’s easily doubled. What’s great about this recipe is that it’s real ingredients and not very sweet. Hence me renaming it Not-Too-Sweet Granola. It’s tasty on its own, but it’s the bee’s knees […]

]]>My reign of stinginess is over. I got this recipe for granola from my boss and it has ruled my breakfast for months. I teased about it back in April on instagram…twice. Shame on me for just now sharing it. It’s the first time I’ve ever made my own granola and what a hit! I’ve actually never even purchased granola, as it never appealed to me, but my boss was eating it in a meeting one morning with blueberries and Greek yogurt and I was all about it!

I’ve tweaked her recipe a bit to my liking and you can play around with the ingredients as well. In the Fall it would be great with pumpkin pie spice. Not a fan of cashews? Swap in walnuts or add more pecans. It’s really easy to change it up to your liking or what’s in your pantry.

I also halved the original recipe. A half recipe lasts me almost two weeks, but if you’re making this for more people, it’s easily doubled. What’s great about this recipe is that it’s real ingredients and not very sweet. Hence me renaming it Not-Too-Sweet Granola. It’s tasty on its own, but it’s the bee’s knees with yogurt and fruit.

The yogurt adds creaminess and tang, while the fruit adds natural sweetness. Sweet, tangy, crunchy, creamy…it hits on all the feels and that’s just what you need to start any morning right!

]]>http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/08/not-too-sweet-granola.html/feed0http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/08/not-too-sweet-granola.htmlPodcasts I’m Listening to Latelyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/6VAPgjpW9P0/podcasts-im-listening-to-lately.html
http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/04/podcasts-im-listening-to-lately.html#commentsThu, 13 Apr 2017 16:17:31 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5883I am years late to the podcast party, but certainly making up for lost time. My commute to and from work has gotten longer and longer over the years (sidenote: please stop moving to Nashville, we’re full), and there’s only so much of the same top 40 songs I can tolerate. Enter Serial (of course!). I heard all the buzz on this podcast when it first came out in 2014, but didn’t get into it until later in 2015. Hooked! Serial started my love of crime/mystery podcasts and I haven’t looked back since, so you’ll see most of the podcasts on this list are of that genre. What podcasts do you love? Please share in the comments! Crime / Mystery Serial Season 1 A high school student disappears and is later found murdered. Her classmate and ex-boyfriend is accused. (don’t bother with season 2, it was awful; there’s a season 3 on the way – yippee!) Up and Vanished An investigation into the disappearance of Tara Grinstead. (this one is really good and ongoing…but it has a nice “solution” if you want a podcast that’s more than theory) Stranglers A fresh look on the Boston Strangler. (a lot of theory here […]

]]>I am years late to the podcast party, but certainly making up for lost time. My commute to and from work has gotten longer and longer over the years (sidenote: please stop moving to Nashville, we’re full), and there’s only so much of the same top 40 songs I can tolerate. Enter Serial (of course!). I heard all the buzz on this podcast when it first came out in 2014, but didn’t get into it until later in 2015. Hooked!

Serial started my love of crime/mystery podcasts and I haven’t looked back since, so you’ll see most of the podcasts on this list are of that genre. What podcasts do you love? Please share in the comments!

Crime / Mystery

Serial Season 1
A high school student disappears and is later found murdered. Her classmate and ex-boyfriend is accused.
(don’t bother with season 2, it was awful; there’s a season 3 on the way – yippee!)

Up and Vanished
An investigation into the disappearance of Tara Grinstead.
(this one is really good and ongoing…but it has a nice “solution” if you want a podcast that’s more than theory)

Stranglers
A fresh look on the Boston Strangler.
(a lot of theory here and accounts from people who think they interacted with him)

Criminal
Criminal is a podcast about crime. Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.

Accused
When Elizabeth Andes was found murdered in her Ohio apartment in 1978, police and prosecutors decided within hours it was an open-and-shut case. Two juries disagreed. The Cincinnati Enquirer investigates: Was the right guy charged, or did a killer walk free?

S-Town
John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.
(this is from the same people as Serial and it’s fantastic; I put it in crime / mystery, but it’s so much more!)

In the Dark
This one is about the abduction of Jacob Wetterling in 1989, how law enforcement mishandled the case, and how this led to the nation’s sex-offender registries.

Lore
Lore exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares.
(I was really into this one for a long time and then I got tired of it; still a great podcast)

Food Blogging

The Food Blogger Pro Podcast– I can’t say enough good things about this one; a must for food bloggers and most episodes apply to bloggers of any topic

Political

MSNBC Rachel Maddow– Um, yeah, this administration has me paying attention to politics more than ever before. This podcast is available a few hours after the Rachel Maddow Show airs. I listen to this every single morning on my way to work. Great way to stay in the know and pay attention.

Sleep

Sleep with Me – I started listening to this podcast when I had major trouble sleeping. It’s a nonsensical podcast that is designed to literally put you to sleep. It works! This was a lifesaver for me on many restless nights.

Language

Coffee Break Spanish – OBSESSED. The podcast is free, but I loved it so much I bought the premium version for season one to get the extras. I actually listen to a lesson every morning while I’m having coffee and again on my walk breaks throughout the day. ¡Ahora hablo un poco de español!

]]>http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/04/podcasts-im-listening-to-lately.html/feed2http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/04/podcasts-im-listening-to-lately.htmlFarro with Brie and Squashhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/jU5EJ90wzpc/farro-with-brie-and-squash.html
Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:13:44 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5866Hey strangers! Whew, it has a been way too long since I last posted. (whispers :: last June). I meant to take a short hiatus, really I did. But you know that saying, “life happens when you’re planning?” It sure does. Last June I was burned out of blogging. It’s a lot of work, and well, I just wanted to cook and bake and not have to worry about the perfect photo shoot. I wanted a hot meal for a change! Then life started happening. I got Invisalign, had surgery twice (one planned, one not so much), lots of work changes, Bama lost the national championship, this White House cluster, and the list goes on. I’ll admit I just got too comfortable not blogging. The eating and cooking and baking did not stop though. I needed a break to just be in the kitchen. To remember why I started blogging in the first place. It’s because I love food. Food is comforting, food is social, food is delicious. And food should be shared. So here I am, dusting off the ol’ keyboard. Speaking of comfort food, I thought I’d share this Farro with Brie and Squash recipe with you as my first recipe […]

]]>Hey strangers! Whew, it has a been way too long since I last posted. (whispers :: last June). I meant to take a short hiatus, really I did. But you know that saying, “life happens when you’re planning?” It sure does.

Last June I was burned out of blogging. It’s a lot of work, and well, I just wanted to cook and bake and not have to worry about the perfect photo shoot. I wanted a hot meal for a change! Then life started happening. I got Invisalign, had surgery twice (one planned, one not so much), lots of work changes, Bama lost the national championship, this White House cluster, and the list goes on. I’ll admit I just got too comfortable not blogging.

The eating and cooking and baking did not stop though. I needed a break to just be in the kitchen. To remember why I started blogging in the first place. It’s because I love food. Food is comforting, food is social, food is delicious. And food should be shared. So here I am, dusting off the ol’ keyboard.

Speaking of comfort food, I thought I’d share this Farro with Brie and Squash recipe with you as my first recipe back. I’ve made this dish once before and I don’t know why I don’t keep it on regular rotation. It’s warm and comforting, and I love the bright colors from the squash, red onions, and parsley. Plus hello, roasted veggies are the best. The creamy brie adds decadence without going overboard and making the dish too rich. Chicken or pork would work well in this if you needed to add meat, but this is one of my all-time favorite vegetarian dishes.

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for continuing to hang out in this space. It feels good to be back.

*Note: I don't like eating the rind of brie and I'm too lazy to remove it, so I buy the little tubs of brie that come without it. Not as authentic, but much easier to work with if you don't like the rind.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mince 1/2 red onion; cut the remaining 1 1/2 onions into 1/2-inch-thick wedges and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion, mushrooms and 1 teaspoon thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the farro to the pot and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the farro is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the onion wedges, butternut squash and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme in a large bowl; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the vegetables are tender and browned, about 25 minutes.

4. Add the cubed brie to the farro; stir until creamy. Stir in the parsley. Top each serving of farro with the vegetables and a slice of brie.

]]>http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2017/03/farro-with-brie-and-squash.htmlGrab & Go Breakfast Wrapshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/q6zvZKc6LoE/grab-go-breakfast-wraps.html
http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2016/06/grab-go-breakfast-wraps.html#commentsSat, 04 Jun 2016 01:12:21 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5824These days I’m all into meal planning and prepping. The weekend (especially Sunday) is my time to get everything together so I can do as little as possible when it comes to meals during the week. I get up super early for work and the last thing I’m going to do is get up even earlier to cook. Enter Grab & Go Breakfast Wraps. I can make five of these for the work week on Sunday and I literally grab and go. Seconds devoted to getting breakfast together. This wrap is pretty simple, but what I like is you can change the meat and cheese if you want more variety. I tend to eat the same thing through the week, but by the next week, I like to change things up. My favorite version of this wrap is a hard-boiled egg with ham, dill havarti, and spinach. That’s it. No condiment, no fancy spread, no frills…but easy! This is not an original recipe (although I added the spinach and dill havarti) but I can’t remember where the inspiration came from and asking Google was no help. So whoever you are out there, thank you for the hard-boiled egg + ham […]

]]>These days I’m all into meal planning and prepping. The weekend (especially Sunday) is my time to get everything together so I can do as little as possible when it comes to meals during the week. I get up super early for work and the last thing I’m going to do is get up even earlier to cook. Enter Grab & Go Breakfast Wraps. I can make five of these for the work week on Sunday and I literally grab and go. Seconds devoted to getting breakfast together.

This wrap is pretty simple, but what I like is you can change the meat and cheese if you want more variety. I tend to eat the same thing through the week, but by the next week, I like to change things up. My favorite version of this wrap is a hard-boiled egg with ham, dill havarti, and spinach. That’s it. No condiment, no fancy spread, no frills…but easy!

This is not an original recipe (although I added the spinach and dill havarti) but I can’t remember where the inspiration came from and asking Google was no help. So whoever you are out there, thank you for the hard-boiled egg + ham + cheese inspiration!

Important note: I make these for the entire work week and they pretty much stay tasty through day five. However, you’ll notice the havarti will soften more due to the water content in the ham the older the wrap is. I didn’t mind it, but just a heads up. Other meat / cheese combos may or may not do this.

]]>http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2016/06/grab-go-breakfast-wraps.html/feed3http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2016/06/grab-go-breakfast-wraps.htmlMeals Using Spiralized Veggieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/ntgsVG49gvw/meals-using-spiralized-veggies.html
http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2016/03/meals-using-spiralized-veggies.html#commentsThu, 17 Mar 2016 14:56:57 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5769Raise your hand if you’ve jumped on the spiralizing veggies trend! 🙌🏽 I hate to even call it a trend because I think I’m almost the last person to really get on board with it and it looks like it’s here to stay. Fine by me! A few years ago I shared a recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce, but I hadn’t fully embraced it and I made that recipe by basically julienning the zucchini. In this post, I’ll share with you how I spiralize veggies and the meals I make using spiralized veggies. Rewind to a few months ago when I listened to the Food Blogger Pro Podcast featuring Ali Maffucci. (Sidenote: I highly recommend this podcast. It’s a fantastic resource for any type of blogger, not just food!) Ali designed The Inspiralizer and I was hooked! It’s a little more expensive than some other spiralizers, but it’s much easier to store and clean. There’s also no fuss with switching out sharp blades. The compact design sold me and I got one as a gift in January. I’m happy to report I haven’t stopped using it! I thought I’d share a few meals I’ve made using spiralized veggies. I LOVE incorporating […]

]]>Raise your hand if you’ve jumped on the spiralizing veggies trend! I hate to even call it a trend because I think I’m almost the last person to really get on board with it and it looks like it’s here to stay. Fine by me! A few years ago I shared a recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce, but I hadn’t fully embraced it and I made that recipe by basically julienning the zucchini. In this post, I’ll share with you how I spiralize veggies and the meals I make using spiralized veggies.

Rewind to a few months ago when I listened to the Food Blogger Pro Podcast featuring Ali Maffucci. (Sidenote: I highly recommend this podcast. It’s a fantastic resource for any type of blogger, not just food!) Ali designed The Inspiralizer and I was hooked! It’s a little more expensive than some other spiralizers, but it’s much easier to store and clean. There’s also no fuss with switching out sharp blades. The compact design sold me and I got one as a gift in January. I’m happy to report I haven’t stopped using it! I thought I’d share a few meals I’ve made using spiralized veggies. I LOVE incorporating more veggies into my diet. The way I look at it is I can splurge a little more on the sauce since I’m not using pasta. Winner winner!

]]>Merry Merry Christmas! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends. These Holiday Pantry Cookies are the last from Cookie Baking Day 2015. The name is very fitting because the flavors in this cookie are what you’d find in your pantry around the holidays. Pistachios, cranberries, coconut, and white chocolate. It’s no surprise why they were a favorite this year!

]]>How long has it been since you had Reese’s Pieces? Every time I think of them, I instantly think of E.T. If you were a child of the 80s, I’m sure you do, too! The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is as classic as it gets. Last year we made M&M’s Cookies, so this year we turned to Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Cookies! I always forget how good those peanut butter bites in a candy shell taste.

]]>I loved the way the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies looked for Cookie Baking Day. So festive with the colored sprinkles and just so darn fun! You could really play around with the color of the sprinkles and make these for just about any occasion. Green, white, and red sprinkles would be really festive for the big day coming up soon!

]]>Is it just me or is 2015 flying by? I swear it was just the other day when we wrapped up Cooking Baking Day 2014 and here I am reporting on what we made this year already! Our 2015 Cooking Baking Day was a few weekends ago and we sure had a blast! It’s getting harder for me to pick out which cookies we make because after five years, we’ve gone through a lot of varieties! I try to have something chocolate, something not chocolate, and something colorful. We always make Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies and this year I promoted these Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies to the annual list. They are so freakin’ good! They deserved it!

On my “something not chocolate” list were these Pumpkin Pecan Spice Cookies. I kind of hesitated on them because I feel like by this time of year, everyone is sick of pumpkin spice. I couldn’t resist though. Pecans!

]]>http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2015/12/pumpkin-pecan-spice-cookies.htmlDay Trip from Nashville: Short Mountain Distillery & Rock Island State Parkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoHowsItTaste/~3/Iu_mRf46ZI4/day-trip-from-nashville-short-mountain-distillery-rock-island-state-park.html
http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2015/10/day-trip-from-nashville-short-mountain-distillery-rock-island-state-park.html#commentsFri, 09 Oct 2015 18:08:03 +0000http://www.sohowsittaste.com/?p=5642Being a Tennessean for a good portion of my life, I hate to admit that there are many spots I haven’t discovered. While I love having a big trip on my agenda, it’s always fun (and cheap!) to explore closer to home. This is where day trips come in handy. Hop in the car, take a short drive, and see what’s out there! This past weekend, my friend Laura and I headed east to Rock Island State Park with a pit stop in Woodbury to visit Short Mountain Distillery. From Nashville, you can take either I-40 or I-24 east, depending on where in town you are. Either way is about a 1 1/2 drive to the distillery. We went on Sunday and got there right in time for the 12:30 p.m. tour. The tour is $10 bucks and they tell you about the history of distilling in that area from way back in prohibition times to today. You can see how they make moonshine the old-fashioned way and the modern-day way. The tour is about an hour and after you get a free tasting. I bought their Prohibition Tea, which is sweet tea moonshine with a hint of peach. It’s pretty […]

]]>Being a Tennessean for a good portion of my life, I hate to admit that there are many spots I haven’t discovered. While I love having a big trip on my agenda, it’s always fun (and cheap!) to explore closer to home. This is where day trips come in handy. Hop in the car, take a short drive, and see what’s out there! This past weekend, my friend Laura and I headed east to Rock Island State Park with a pit stop in Woodbury to visit Short Mountain Distillery.

From Nashville, you can take either I-40 or I-24 east, depending on where in town you are. Either way is about a 1 1/2 drive to the distillery. We went on Sunday and got there right in time for the 12:30 p.m. tour. The tour is $10 bucks and they tell you about the history of distilling in that area from way back in prohibition times to today.

You can see how they make moonshine the old-fashioned way and the modern-day way. The tour is about an hour and after you get a free tasting. I bought their Prohibition Tea, which is sweet tea moonshine with a hint of peach. It’s pretty amazing by itself, but I hear mixing it with lemonade will knock your socks off!